BEECHWORTH COMMUNITY FORUM MINUTES – 20 AUGUST 2013
Mission Statement:
INDIGO
SHIRE
COUNCIL
To support and develop a sustainable, thriving and resilient community
through leadership and partnership.
HELD:
Tuesday 20 August 2013, 6.30pm
LOCATION:
Memorial Hall, Beechworth
NUMBER OF RESIDENTS: 16
Councillors
Mayor Cr Barb Murdoch
Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Croucher
Cr Jenny O’Connor
Cr Bernie Gaffney
Cr Roberta Horne
Cr Don Chambers
Cr James Trenery
Council Officers
CEO Brendan McGrath
GM Sustainable Communities Mark Florence
GM Infrastructure Services Alan Clark
Manager Communications Roberta Baker
Community members
PLEASE NOTE: While every effort is made to accurately record comments, these minutes are not verbatim. Some editing is done for clarity.
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ITEM NO ITEM
1.0
Welcome – Mayor
2.0
Apologies – nil
3.0
Infrastructure – The Big Picture – Alan Clark (information sheet attached)
Alan spoke to the attached information sheet which outlines the assets his department looks after and the
2012-13 schedule of road works.
Robert Voigt – spoke about issues with roads, in particular when rain washes material off the road up
against farmers fences. He said the issue, historically, is poor maintenance. He suggested bringing that
material back on to the road.
Alan Clark – there is an issue with drainage on rural roads and Council has put some funds into this year’s
budget to focus on 15-20 culvert upgrades. Often when the material is washed off the road, the clay is
washed out and there is no ability for compaction left. If you put that material back on the road, it washes
off again.
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BEECHWORTH COMMUNITY FORUM MINUTES – 20 AUGUST 2013
4.0
John Herbst – mentioned the lack of kerb and guttering outside Church of England church and rectory in
Ford Street and the need for better drainage.
Alan – we will look at Council’s priority list and get back to you.
Office project – CEO Brendan McGrath
Council has signed a conditional contract to buy The Pines at Mayday Hills in Beechworth. One of the
major conditions is that the site needs to be rezoned before current buyers become official owners. We
are having talks with La Trobe about a heads of agreement to give us a long term lease to fall back on if
current sale arrangement falls through. We have appointed a design team, scoping work will be finished
by October. We have had some discussions with the builder, we received an exemption from going to
tender from the Local Government Minister so we could renegotiate with builder already appointed for
the work originally proposed in the car park at the rear of the current office. Will benchmark the builder’s
ACTION
Ron Sneddon
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price with that of a quantity surveyor. We hope to start refurbishment work in November, move in about
March next year. Because The Pines is bigger than the original extension, Council has determined to scale
the Yackandandah office project back to about two thirds the original size. It is still a similar project, with
an office building to house up to 40, a branch library, community space at the front of the building to link
with the library and the public hall and allow for expansion of the hall in future. Hope to start work late
this year or early next year, aiming to finish by end of next calendar year. We may build simultaneously or
stagger the two projects. Depends on availability of builders but both projects should be finalized by the
end of next calendar year.
In relation to the current office site, the Visitor Information Centre will stay in old Town Hall, we may
relocate the Beechworth branch library into the current office space which would be a higher profile. Will
keep some customer services functions at current site.
Joan Simms – noted that Beechworth lacks community meeting space and asked if there had been any
consideration for space at The Pines to be used by community organisations.
Brendan – we want to incorporate a designated Council Chamber in The Pines, which could be available
for meetings outside of hours. Also at The Pines, there will be a smaller space, with external access.
We have had some inquiries from local groups about what we will do with the Long Room meeting space
to the left of the foyer of the Memorial Hall.
Iris Mannik – the area in the Long Room was taken from the Supper Room. We have it in writing that the
Long Room space will be returned to the Supper Room. The dividing wall was put up temporarily 10 years
ago. Hall Committee has written to council.
Brendan – they have drawn all that to our attention.
Mark Stephens –with Council moving to The Pines, it is a wonderful opportunity for this whole area, the
historic precinct, to become a community centre and remain as a proper historic precinct. I suggest any
works that will be done in this area should take that into account.
Robin McLiesh – Corowa Council wanted new office and bought one of the clubs. Have done a conversion
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to an office and I recommend the design team go and have a look at it. There are some ideas there that
are advantageous.
CEO - I have certainly been there and it is a great effort.
Jeff Palmer – asked who is on the design team for the office project. I think it is evident that numbers of
people have not only an interest but valuable input into what will finish up as the Council Centre. What
mechanism is there for interaction with the community in the whole shire for what they would like to see
in the facility? That interaction has already been shown to be needed. There has been no item on the
Council agenda re the office since April. Not trying to denigrate Council, but there has been no
consultation. Same situation as previous council where we woke up after 18 months silence and a decision
had been made.
Cr Jenny O’Connor - we have not got plans yet. All we have done is make the decision, when we have plans
we can then go to the community.
CEO – a design brief has been given to the design team to give Council a quote.
Jeff – can that be shared with ratepayers generally? I come along here and I have to ask for a mechanism
that would sell council’s commitment to openness. Surely you don’t need me to point this out
Cr Murdoch – there will be many staff working in the building and in the last week they have gone up and
had a look inside the building. It is going to be a working building and we do need people working in it to
give us their feedback. There will be the opportunity for input but staff have a say first.
Jeff Palmer - asked about the cost of the Yackandandah office – he had not seen it tabled at any Council
Meeting since April.
CEO - the position is no different to when you have asked before, we are not going to release figures on
costs because we are going into a competitive environment.
Jeff Palmer – can I have a commitment to no overdevelopment of the Yackandandah site?
CEO - I will build it to the budget the Council has approved.
Jeff Palmer – the committee on efficiency I imagine extends to efficiency of assets.
Mayor Cr Murdoch - Council has made a decision. It is going to build an office in Yackandandah of
significant size. We have decided to sell Ardsville. We want to build an office there to fit staff. We are
working towards two departments in Beechworth and one in Yackandandah. We will be spending the
budget as frugally as possible to get two good buildings that will take us into the future and be used for a
long time.
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5.0
Fire services levy - CEO
CEO outlined the levy and referred to next rates notice which will have a State Government flyer inside
explaining the levy. The levy is not revenue for Council, it is returned to State Government. House
insurance premiums will be less, average of about $120 a year better off. Value will vary depending on
value of your property. Fixed charge for residential of $100 and non-residential fixed charge of $200. Scale
above that based on Capital Improved Value of your property. All information on our website. $50
concession for some. State Government has a Fire Services Levy Monitor (www.firelevymonitor.vic.gov.au)
to handle complaints if insurance policies do not come down. People will still claim for any fire through
their insurance.
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Robin McLiesh – Council office should be in one area only, with customer service centres in Yackandandah
in Rutherglen and Chiltern.
6.0
Robert Voigt – Wangaratta Council sent me a form 3 months ago for an exemption for multiple properties.
Have had nothing from Indigo Council as yet.
Greg Pinkerton
CEO – I will follow that up.
Lake Sambell update – Alan Clark
We are expecting a final report and briefing by engineers by the end of this month. We should have a good
idea of where we are going. We have had some feedback to date. Because the current spillway is too small
to take the overflow that may be necessary, they have to design the actual dam wall as an overflow wall.
That changes it. The wall won’t be as steep and it will be covered in fairly large rock to protect it. It will still
have a road on top. Spillway will take smaller flows and if we get that significant event, the wall itself will
overflow. We will have a draft design by the end of the month. Cost estimates are in excess of $3 million
and construction will take 6-9 months.
Do we have a choice with any of this? Not really, if we want to keep the lake. We have been informed that
if we don’t bring the dam wall up to current standards, it is likely the lake will be decommissioned. The
repair work will have a significant impact on the Chinese gardens. Council has to get funding first of all and
then we can go out to tender. Will know more in a few weeks. There has been an audit of the lake by
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water authorities and we have to so some things re signage and buoys.
Harvey Anderssen – asked if Council was really looking broadly enough, at different ways to solve the
problems.
Alan Clark – engineers have looked at diverting water upstream, and building a concrete wall instead of a
rock wall. That would be twice the cost. The cost of controlling water upstream would also be in excess of
the cost of fixing wall. Engineers were directed to go for the least cost outcome. We are talking to state
and Federal Governments re funding.
CEO – it will probably have to come straight from a state or federal budget allocation.
Robert Voigt – commented that in his opinion this was a convenient leak. It leaked years go and it used to
water the lawn tennis courts. Put there in 1928 built by winnings from Beechworth’s Ideal Town
competition. Money that came out of that went to building the wall. Not constructed as dams are today.
Just an earthen bank thrown across the gully. I was one of founding members of water ski club. We were
criticized for asking council to lift the level of water and make it permanent. Spillway is not big enough –
it’s been there for 100 years. Built to cover the old mine workings. We don’t own the ground.
Alan Clark – but it is a Council asset. The reality is it is leaking in 3 places and it is below current standards
and it is at risk if we get a large inflow. We have to get the best outcome. We don’t want to lose our lake
but we will lose part of our Chinese gardens.
Robert Voigt – the Rocky Mountain tunnel was built to allow Rocky Mountain mine to go deeper, to lower
the level of water from the sluice. We had night skiing on Lake Sambell before they even thought about it
on the Yarra.
Iris Mannik - has received many phone calls in last few months. People horrified that the Council will
move the Chinese pavilion. It cost us $27,000.
Alan Clark – it does have to move, it’s not something we have expertise in. We will try and get the best
people to move it. There is a lot of ownership in the gardens and we know that and it will cause significant
change and we may lose the top pond. Once we get the plans we can walk over the ground with the
committee and see what it means for the whole area.
Cr Murdoch thanked Iris and her Committee of Management members for the work they do.
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7.0
Your say
John Herbst – raised the issue of rates for the proposed weekly organic bin and a saving in the general
garbage rate. He said that in a full year it will still mean an increase on his rates of $154, or 10.3% in rates
on an average residential property. Council put rates up 6%. I spend $80 - $120 a year in green tip fees. So
I now have a rate increase of 10.3% and still have to pay tip fees. The State Government wants a 65%
decrease in land fill - I suggest Council cut out green tip fees at tips. You are having it both ways.
Cr Murdoch – we will take that on board, re waiving green tip fees. Thank you for raising that issue. We
are all looking at cutting greenhouse gases and it is a vexed issue how we do this.
Cr Don Chambers – we are trying to recover organic material instead of putting it into the ground. Not just
coming from State Government, it’s coming from all governments. Landfill rates are being used by all State
Governments to raise revenue. The less we put into ground, the less the levy.
John Herbst – I don’t want to see green waste dumped on side of roads because that is what could
happen.
Robert Voigt – in recent Informer newsletter there was an amount of $7,300 for a water supply tank for a
fire brigade. What brigade?
(Response supplied later: Yackandandah Fire Brigade)
Robert Voigt – queried an amount of $38,000 for fleet purchases. How many cars does shire own and is
responsible for.
CEO - over last 12 months we have been moving to novated leasing with end goal of cutting back on
number of vehicles.
Robert – if there is a change of government, and changes to FBT what will be the effect?
CEO - it will cost us more. But if FBT does go up, staff contributions go up also.
Alan Clark – referring to notes provided today to Council at customer service counter. The notes refer to
dead reeds around Lake Sambell, that they need to be removed.
Iris Mannik – commented that some spots on the southern side of lake still haven’t been fixed up.
Alan Clark – the reeds provide some protection from erosion. Dead reeds will disappear when the water
comes up. The other point raised was in relation to drainage in front of their houses in Railway Parade. I
will address that with them sometime this week.
Alan Clark
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Forum closed at 7.45pm.
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